PDF Version - German American Chamber of Commerce New York

Transcription

G E R M A N
A M E R I C A N
TRADE
NOV/DEC 2014
Lebkuchen Uber Alles
MostlyChocolate.com Expands U.S. Sales
GACC West 10th Anniversary –
A Decade of Transatlantic Trade and Relations
Nov/Dec 2014 • Vol. 25 • No. 6 • $5.00
GACC · 75 Broad Street, 21st Floor · New York, NY 10004 · USA
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E D I T O R I A L
C O N T E N T S
D
ear Members & Friends of
the German American
Chambers of Commerce,
nTRANSATLANTIC
As 2014 is coming to an end, we can
look back upon a thoroughly
successful year for the U.S. economy.
Unemployment is at a 14-year low,
while the U.S. economy has added
jobs for 55 consecutive months. The
budget deficit has fallen significantly
and interest rates are at a constant
low level. German companies have
been profiting from this friendly
business climate. Recently, companies such as Siemens, SAP, Bayer,
and Infineon have been spending
more than $65 billion on acquisitions of American firms. In addition,
of all the American companies
receiving foreign bids this year, a
fifth were from German buyers, and
of all the cross-border takeovers
worldwide led by German firms, 60%
were for American firms.
Dr. Harm Bandholz
Life after Quantitative Easing (“QE”)
In addition to the good economic
news, the German American Chamber of Commerce West, located in
San Francisco, has reason to celebrate. On October 21st, members of
the German American Chamber of
Commerce New York and other
representatives of the Bay Area
business community gathered to
celebrate its 10 year anniversary. For
ten years the GACC West has served
as a facilitator for transatlantic trade
on the West Coast and as the most
important point of contact for
German companies invested in this
region. The western states play a
vital role for the U.S. economy,
significantly contributing to the
T I C K E R
German American Company News
nECONOMIST’S
nC O V E R
4
C O R N E R
7
S T O R Y
as Distributor of Lebkuchen-Schmidt Cookies 8
nS P O T L I G H T S
German Accelerator Opening
in New York City
12
GACC West 10th Anniversary
A Decade of Transatlantic Trade and Relations 15
Caroll H. Neubauer
Chairman of the German American
Chamber of Commerce, New York
Chairman & CEO of B.Braun
of America Inc.
national GDP. California and the San
Francisco Bay Area in specific are
nationwide leaders in sectors like
high technology, renewable energy,
and venture capital.
Therefore, the GACC New York’s
decision to open a branch office in
San Francisco a decade ago was an
important step in accessing untapped
business potential and enhancing
transatlantic ties.
Sincerely,
Caroll H. Neubauer,
Chairman of the German American
Chamber of Commerce, New York
German Food is not the Wurst! –
A Taste of Germany II
18
A Day of Dialogue and Exchange
at the Inspiration for Innovation Forum
20
Woelco – Global Supplier of Labels
and Identification Solutions
21
nG TA I
I N D U S T R Y
T A L K
Ethnic Diversity of U.S. Population
Puts Food Industry on the Spot nWA S H I N G T O N
24
U P D A T E
U.S. Sanctions at a Glance
26
nWELCOME TO THE C-SUITE
Interview with Claudio Caobianco
Executive Vice President, Haver Filling Systems 28
nS TAT E
S P E C I A L
Georgia: Everything’s Coming Up Peaches
nM E M B E R
32
P R O F I L E S
OSK Marketing & Communications –
Not Your Average Agency
36
Artnet: Overview of the
Fine Art Market in Germany
38
Hapag-Lloyd – EUROPA 2: Atlantic Crossing
and Maiden Call in New York City 40
nWHAT'S ON YOUR DESK?
Lindi von Mutius, GACC Philadelphia
nE V E N T
42
C A L E N D A R
Events & Delegations: Nov/Dec 2014
Cover page: MostlyChocolate.com
45
T R A N S A T L A N T I C
T I C K E R
MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
Germany's Lehmann
& Voss Buys U.S.-Based
Performance Compounding
German compounding firm Lehmann
& Voss & Co. KG has acquired
Performance Compounding LLC for
an undisclosed price. Performance is
based in Pawcatuck, Conn., where
Hamburg-based L&V has its U.S.
office. Performance makes compounds based on engineering resins
and fluoropolymers for both custom
and contract markets.
>> www.plasticsnews.com
to buy Bergquist Co. as Chief
Executive Officer Kasper Rorsted
turns his takeover funds to adhesives after spending 1.2 billion
euros ($1.5 billion) on household
and personal-care brands this year.
Buying the Chanhassen, Minnesotabased company adds Bergquist’s
range of adhesives and materials for
managing heat in electronics,
generating 130 million euros in
sales a year, Düsseldorf, Germanybased Henkel said in a statement.
Financial terms of the purchase
were not disclosed.
>> www.bloomberg.com
Henkel CEO Turns M&A
Chest to Adhesives with
U.S. Bergquist Deal
Henkel AG, the maker of Loctite
glue and Persil detergent, agreed
SAP Buys Expenses Software
Maker Concur for $7.3 Billion
Germany's SAP has agreed to
buy U.S. expenses software maker
Concur for $7.3 billion in cash,
strengthening its position in cloud
computing but sending its shares
down almost 3 percent on concerns
over the price. SAP has been slow to
embrace cloud computing, which
allows businesses to cut costs by
ditching bulky servers for networkbased systems, but the Concur deal
accelerates its growth in the cloud
while protecting its position in travel
and expenses management.
>> www.reuters.com
Merck KGaA to Buy SigmaAldrich to Add Chemicals
Merck KGaA agreed to buy SigmaAldrich Corp. for $17 billion in cash
to expand in chemicals used in
research laboratories and medicines.
The German drug and chemical
company will pay $140 a share,
37 percent more than Sigma-Aldrich’s
Exclusive cartoon for German American Trade by Heiko Sakurai www.sakurai-cartoons.de
4
German American Trade Nov/Dec 2014
closing price on Sept. 19, Darmstadtbased Merck said in a statement. St.
Louis-based Sigma-Aldrich will add
to Merck’s earnings immediately,
according to the statement.
Bagel Maker Einstein
Noah Sold to German Firm
for $374 Million
The Einstein Noah Restaurant Group,
whose bagel shops include Einstein
Brothers Bagels, Noah’s New York
Bagels and Manhattan Bagel, said
that it would sell itself to JAB
Holding Company, a German
conglomerate formerly called Joh. A.
Benckiser, for about $374 million.
The price of $20.25 a share in cash
represents a 47 percent premium
over Einstein Noah’s 30-day average
trading price, the company said.
>> www.nyt.com
Bluebeam Acquired
for $100 Million
Bluebeam Software Inc., a PDF
solutions provider for the architecture, engineering and construction
industries, has been acquired by
Nemetschek Group for $100 million.
Both companies work to eliminate
paper usage by helping businesses
digitize project documents. The
acquisition expands Nemetschek’s
North American reach, while
Bluebeam will gain access to the
German software firm’s European
and Asian markets.
>> labusinessjournal.com
MARKET ENTRIES & RELOCATIONS
German Company Schütz
Container Systems will
Open in St. Joseph (MO)
German company Schütz Container
Systems Inc. is establishing a new
operation in St. Joseph that eventually will employ about 50 people.
The St. Joseph Chamber of Com-
merce announced that the German
packaging company has bought a
shell building and more than 13
acres of land and will invest about
$20 million in the operation. Workers
at the facility will make packages for
the agriculture, chemical and
food-related industries. Chamber CEO
Patt Lilly said the workers are
expected to be new hires.
>> www.bizjournals.com
German Manufacturing
Company Hugo Benzing
to Open First U.S. Location
in Lyon (MI)
A German manufacturing company
plans to open a $4.7 million automotive parts production company in
Lyon Township next year. Initially
the company is expected to hire
some 40 people, Hugo Benzing CEO
Christian Benzing said. The company
produces locking parts, wire forms
and precision punched parts, and is
expected to begin production “in the
second half” of 2015.
>> www.hometownlife.com
T I C K E R
boutique-exclusive Richard Lange
Tourbillon "Pour le Mérite" watch in
NYC. Additionally the brand celebrates 20 years since its post-Cold
War rebirth and has announced
limited edition sets of Lange 1
watches to mark the occasion.
Zubie Expands
Technology to Germany
Zubie has expanded from its Sullivan’s Island office with an international launch to Germany. The
connected-car service partnered with
Telefonica, a Madrid-based global
telecommunications company, to
offer its proprietary technology in
Germany as an O2 Car Connection
product. The partnership allows
Zubie’s technology to be sold
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
Come Experience the Magic
of Fine European Wares!
Rovema GmbH Launches
North American Subsidiary
Rovema GmbH, Germany-based
provider of packaging machinery for
the food industry including the
bakery, confectionary, snack and
frozen foods sectors, has announced
the cessation of its ongoing partnership with Rovema Packaging
Machines L.P. and the opening of a
27,000-sq-ft facility in Norcross, GA;
food equipment packaging veteran
John Panaseny was appointed as first
CEO of Rovema North America.
>> www.packworld.com
A. Lange & Söhne
Arrives in New York City
It's an A. Lange & Söhne whirlwind
in Watch Land. The German watchmaker recently opened boutiques in
New York City (785 Madison Avenue)
and Moscow, releasing a new
Visit America's best
100% authentic German Shop
The CHRISTMAS SLEIGH
5A East Washington Street • Middleburg, VA 20117
Telephone: (540) 687-3665 • Fax: (540) 687-3435
We ship worldwide.
Order online at
www.thechristmassleigh.com
T I C K E R
under the O2 brand to its wireless
customers in Germany starting in
October 2014.
>> www.charlestonbusiness.com
INVESTMENTS & EXPANSIONS
24 New Jobs, $6 Million
Investment Expected as
Company Opens New Independence (KY) Headquarters
Governor Steve Beshear joined local
and company officials to celebrate
the opening of Balluff Inc.’s new U.S.
headquarters building in Independence. Balluff, a world leader in
sensor technology, expects to add 24
new jobs and invest $6 million as
part of the expansion. “Balluff has
found a successful home in northern
Kentucky for more than 30 years,”
said Gov. Beshear. “We’re proud to
have the company’s U.S. headquarters in the Commonwealth. More and
more companies are discovering that
Kentucky is a great place to establish
businesses of all sizes.”
>> www.rcnky.com
Ticketmaster Expands
German Operations, Partners
with Mehr! Entertainment
Group & Eintrittskarten.de
Ticketmaster Germany has announced a new partnership with the
Düsseldorf-based Mehr! Entertainment Group and Eintrittskarten.de
that will expand its retail ticketing
and marketing solutions to the
companies' more than 2,500 events
and six venues each year. Mehr!
Entertainment Group and Eintrittskarten.de's venues include Capitol
Theater Düsseldorf, Cologne Musical
Dome, Admiralspalast Berlin, Musical
Theater Bremen, Starlight ExpressTheater Bochum and the newly built
Mehr! Theater Hamburg.
>> www.billboard.com
Oracle To Build New
Data Centers In Germany
Oracle is planning to open two new
data centers in Germany to meet customer requirements for cloud
security and privacy, said Loic Le
Guisquet, Oracle executive vice president for the EMEA region. One of
those data centers will be located in
RIGHT IN THE CENTER –
THE GREEN HEART OF BERLIN
The Steigenberger Hotel Am Kanzleramt
opened on May 1st and has its name from
its view of the Federal Chancellery and the
Reichstag building. The new hotel in the
centre of Berlin near the main station offers
high-class comfort and is ideal for business
travellers and city tourists. Restaurant and bar
cater to almost every taste. In the fitness and
wellness area you enjoy a magnificent view.
Jogging and walking are possible along the
Spreebogen, the bend in the river, with the
Federal Press Beach and can be extended
without any problem to the Brandenburg
Gate. With local public transport you can
quickly and easily reach further highlights
of the city.
Steigenberger Hotel Am Kanzleramt
Ella-Trebe-Strasse 5, 10557 Berlin
www.kanzleramt-berlin.steigenberger.com
E C O N O M I S T ’ S
Frankfurt and the other in Munich.
“This is a response to the very strong
demand in Germany for this type of
service as well as to customer
questions surrounding security and
proximity,” said Le Guisquet. “I want
to make sure we are able to respond
to that level of demand.”
>> www.forbes.com
Axel Springer Invests
$20 Million Into Online
Magazine OZY
Axel Springer announced that it has
invested $20 million into the Silicon
Valley-based online magazine OZY.
The publication that covers stories on
news and culture was founded in
2013 by Carlos Watson, a former
MSNBC anchor. OZY’s aim is to
bring readers “news and information
in a completely different way.”
>> www.venturevillage.eu
$7 Million A Round
for C&As and Primark
Challenger Lesara
German online retailer Lesara
announced a $7 million Series A lead
by U.S. investors Mangrove Capital
from Luxemburg. U.S.-based
Funderguild, Fabrice Grinda and
previous investors including Partech
Ventures, KupiVP founder Oskar
Hartmann, Marafoni founder Sina
Afra and others joined the round.
Founded in 2013, serial entrepreneur
Roman Kirsch wants to make Lesara
the largest pan-European online budget retailer. The team has grown to
now 60 employees.
>> www.venturevillage.eu
Visit us on the web at
>> www.transatlantic-news.com
Follow the Ticker on Twitter
>> www.twitter.com/ta_news
C O R N E R
Life after QE
Q
uantitative Easing (“QE”) in
the U.S. is over. Almost exactly
six years after announcing the first
long-term asset purchases – on
November 25, 2008 – and left with a
USD 4.5 trillion balance sheet, the
Federal Reserve has decided that
now is the time to stop. This is
reason enough to have both a look
back and ahead. What good did QE
do, and how will the economy and
financial markets cope without it?
First, the view in the rear view
mirror. There can be no doubt,
in my view, that the first round
of asset purchases (“QE1”), in
combination with the short-term
liquidity programs, was crucial to
halt panic in financial markets
after the bankruptcy of Lehman
Brothers. In line with my assessment, various measures of financial stress declined significantly
right after QE1 was announced.
And not long thereafter, the
current stock market rally began.
The benefit of the subsequent
programs, QE2 (November 2010 –
August 2011), Operation Twist
(September 2011 – December
2012), and QE3 (January 2013
– now), on the other hand, is less
obvious. I think the Fed initiated
them mostly as pre-emptive
measures to insure against potential downside risk. As these
downside risks – thankfully – have
never materialized, it is hard to
appreciate the role of the latest
asset purchase programs. I personally have been skeptical about the
benefits of QE2 and QE3, but from
a risk-management perspective,
the Fed might have been right to
provide additional stimulus.
Dr. Harm Bandholz, CFA
Chief U.S. Economist
UniCredit Research
>> [email protected]
>> www.unicreditgroup.eu
What about the future? Thanks to the
gradual reduction of the asset purchases (“tapering”), we already got a sense
of how well financial markets will fare
without the monthly liquidity injections. The answer is: not too bad. 10Y
Treasury yields are currently 50 to
75bp lower than they were five years
ago. And as long as the Fed does not
start to sell the assets that it accumulated over the past five years – which
is not planned for the foreseeable
future – most of the yield impact is
here to stay. To be sure, we expect
yields to go up in the coming months,
but that is due to changed market
expectations about rate hikes, not due
to the end of QE. And as long as
interest rates, both on the short and
the long end, go up for the right
reason, read: a better economy, stock
markets should also be able to weather
the increases. In that context it is
worth to remind ourselves that over
the past 25 years, the S&P500 reached
its peak when the rate hike cycle was
over, not when it started. n
7
C O V E R
S T O R Y
Lebkuchen Uber Alles
By Laurel Bookhardt
W
hen Robert Valois launched
MostlyChocolate.com in
2008, he coupled mail order offerings
of international, gourmet chocolates
with Lebkuchen assortments. The
German gingerbread and holiday
cookies were enormously popular.
MostlyChocolate.com quickly
established itself as as the largest
distributor of Lebkuchen-Schmidt
products in the U.S. Today, Lebkuchen sales account for 80% of the
company’s business.
Two years ago, MostlyChocolate.com
entered into a marketing partnership
with Lebkuchen-Schmidt to gain
visibility in the U.S. corporate gift
market. “From our first orders, we’ve
seen German-American companies
embrace the option of sharing a gift
that represents their heritage with
their clients and employees,” Valois
explains. Although individual orders
by German-Americans remain the
mainstay, increased orders of
Lebkuchen as corporate gifts account
for the largest growth sector.
Robert Valois surveys cookie inventory
at a warehouse in Charlotte, NC.
8
Brigitte Hartenstein has fond
childhood memories of her family
enjoying Lebkuchen during the
holidays in Dusseldorf. Hartenstein, CFO of STEAG Energy
Services LLC of Kings
Mountain, NC, became
one of the first corporate clients of Lebkuchen from MostlyChocolate.com. “I order
first for myself. Next, I order
Lebkuchen and liquor-filled German
chocolates for family Christmas gifts.
Then I select Lebkuchen assortments
for our premiere clients.” This will be
the fifth year STEAG will send
Lebkuchen with a personalized
holiday card to a select list of
customers. “Our clients know to look
forward each year to the new historic
tin design and the nostalgic cookies.
It’s become a STEAG tradition.”
Hartenstein notes the huge uncertainties involved when ordering
merchandise from Germany. “Not
only is there an increased cost of
shipping, there’s always a concern of
when products will arrive and in
what condition. I ordered German
calendars as Christmas mementos
one year. They arrived the following
March.” This is precisely why
Lebkuchen-Schmidt advocates for
U.S. companies like STEAG to order
through MostlyChocolate.com.
STEAG is located in neighboring
Kings Mountain, NC. “When I place
my holiday order, the Lebkuchen tins
usually arrive within 2-3 days,”
Hartenstein explains.
50,000 MostlyChocolate.com
catalogs were released on September
24, 2014. Reservations began
immediately for the much anticipated
2014 Festive Chest, the Old Nuremberg Chest, and other favorite
Lebkuchen tins and gift baskets. “We
do our best to anticipate what our
C O V E R
S T O R Y
“We’ve seen German-American companies
embrace the option of sharing a gift that represents
their heritage with their clients and employees.”
Robert Valois, MostlyChocolate.com
customers will order,” Valois assures.
“Most corporate orders fall in the
$30 to $60 price category, so we’ve
increased inventory in this price
range.” As orders from corporate
clients have increased, so have
services. Today, many companies
provide a list of addresses for
shipment with a target ship date. The
Mostly Chocolate staff write notes by
hand and ship the cookie assortments to lists of individuals direct
from the warehouse.
A Sweet Partnership
As part of the marketing partnership,
Lebkuchen-Schmidt ships samples to
Mostly Chocolate for distribution to
prospective clients and at GermanAmerican functions and benefits. In
2013, Lebkuchen-Schmidt sent
12,000 sample cookies from Nuremberg to MostlyChocolate.com. Cookie
samples have made their way to
white asparagus dinners in Texas,
Carolina Oktoberfests, and events
hosted by the German Language and
Culture Association. In May, company representatives gave attendees
Lebkuchen at the Merlin Awards
Gala in Chicago, where Mostly
Chocolate was a nominee in the Best
Small Business category. This fall,
MostlyChocolate.com was a sponsor
of TEASE,
the Transatlantic Exhibition of Art in the
Southeast. Lebkuchen-Schmidt cements the
partnership by joining Valois at
premier U.S. events like the fall 2014
Administrative Professionals Conference (APC) near Washington, DC.
MostlyChocolate.com conducts 99%
of sales online or by mail which
pairs well with Lebkuchen-Schmidt’s
business model. With over 80 years
in business, Lebkuchen-Schmidt is
the oldest mail order company for
2014 Lebkuchen-Schmidt Festive Chest
9
C O V E R
S T O R Y
Lebkuchen. In 1930, LebkuchenSchmidt employed 150 workers and
produced 35,000 Lebkuchen packets.
Today, 800 employees are on staff
during Lebkuchen season, with 3
million Lebkuchen cookies
baked each day.
Lebkuchen-Schmidt
ships worldwide.
The U.S. ranks first
in gross sales.
“We’ve seen U.S.
sales revenue rise since
entering the partnership
with Mostly Chocolate,” states
Jürgen Merkel, Export Manager,
Lebkuchen-Schmidt. Orders increased
from 2 container shipments in 2012
to 3 in 2013. “Our long-term goal is
to improve sales and brand awareness. We’re already seeing positive
results from our investment,” Merkel
confirms. With shipments to all 50
states, overall revenue has also
grown steadily for Mostly Chocolate
at an average of 13% annually for
the past 3 years. Interestingly, the
state of California leads U.S. sales.
Family and Community Spirit
The success of MostlyChocolate.com
has been built on the shoulders of
two pioneers in the German-U.S.
food distribution business. Peter
Nelson began importing Asbach and
other liquor-filled chocolates about
20 years ago. He built a thriving
consumer chocolate division. About
the same time, Heinrich Friedmann
began importing Lebkuchen cookies
into the U.S. Friedmann became the
founder of German Food Specialties.
By 2010, Peter Nelson passed away
and Friedmann was ready to sell. In
10
the heart of the recession, Valois
listened to his gut and purchased the
two gourmet import companies. “No
banks were giving loans during those
tough economic times. I was forced
to use my own capital to launch
MostlyChocolate.com,” Valois
recalled. Valois’ great-grandfather
emigrated from Germany in 1876,
becoming a mailman in New York
City. With the same independent
spirit, Valois launched his first solo
business venture.
Like Schmidt, Mostly Chocolate is
truly a family-owned and -managed
business. “My teenagers have
regularly participated in rechecking
orders and helping in the warehouse.
My wife makes all the big decisions,” Valois confides with a
wink. Valois received his
formal education at the
University of Central
Florida, after receiving his
hands-on life training as
a U.S. Marine. “We give to
Wounded Warriors.” Valois
adds that he tries to hire veterans. “I recently had a position to fill.
A U.S. veteran had an outstanding
resume and took the job.”
As part of his corporate marketing
strategy, Valois has partnered with
the German Chambers across the
country. He is a very active member
of GACC South. “Bob generously
donates Lebkuchen for GACC South
meetings and events,” says Katharina
Wilke, GACC South Membership and
Events Coordinator of the Carolinas.
Valois joined the organization at the
Executive membership level, with the
opportunity to host an “After Hours”
networking event.
On November 19th, from 5:00pm to
8:00pm, Mostly Chocolate will treat
GACC South members of the Carolinas and guests to a traditional
German Christmas Market at their
warehouse in Charlotte, NC. Attendees will enjoy festive music, a tour,
Lebkuchen and chocolate tastings, as
well as holiday cheer. The 2014
Lebkuchen tins will be on display in
front of 80 pallets of Lebkuchen and
chocolates. Wilke reminds members
that advanced registration is required. About 1,000 invitations will
be issued and sign up begins a
month in advance.
With the advent of the partnership
with Lebkuchen-Schmidt, Valois has
been able to have a regular
presence in many key U.S.
cities. “Over the past two
years, Mostly Chocolate
has been a consistent
and generous supporter of not only the
German business
community, but also the
German cultural community
in the Philadelphia region,” affirms
Lindi von Mutius, Executive Director
of the GACC Philadelphia. “Lebkuchen is always a crowd favorite at
our Spargel Fest and Golf Outing,
and Mostly Chocolate even hosted a
special beer and chocolate tasting
event we held with the German
Society of Pennsylvania in September 2013,” she adds.
Last year, Mostly Chocolate also
became a sponsor for German
language scholarships at the Immanuel German School. “It’s no
wonder that Mostly Chocolate has
dominated Lebkuchen sales in the
C O V E R
S T O R Y
Philadelphia region,” von Mutius
notes. “Very few fine food retailers
show such a great level of commitment to furthering German culture
and the German business community.”
The Challenges of a
Seasonal Business
Lebkuchen is baked and packaged in
Nuremburg each August. In 2013,
seventy-five pallets of Lebkuchen
were shipped to MostlyChocolate.
com’s 17,000 square foot warehouse
in Charlotte, NC. Perishables are kept
at optimum temperatures from the
moment they leave the factory as
shipping containers and the warehouse are temperature controlled.
Lebkuchen shipments arrive in
September, October and November to
align with historic ordering trends.
Many tins have been ordered in
advance, even before they leave the
motherland.
“MostlyChocolate.com is an
8-months-out-of-the-year business
with 12 months of expenses,” Valois
asserts. “I have a great staff and they
build relationships with our customers. Many customers call and ask to
speak to the same representative year after year. We
try to keep our staff
intact.”
In addition to the
famous Lebkuchen,
Mostly Chocolate
imports from Asbach,
Reber, and a full
spectrum of other imported
fine food specialty companies.
Currently, the chocolate and specialty
sales season parallels the sales cycle
Robert Valois, MostlyChocolate.com
of Lebkuchen. This allows time for
travel to promote brand awareness,
updates to the website, catalog
review and planning, as well as sales
analysis and forecasting.
Valois is investigating innovative
ways to move from seasonal sales to
continuous, 12-month revenue
generation. With growing frequency,
Valois has tracked chocolate orders
for company meetings and corporate functions. “Chocolates
can be ordered year round.
We’re looking into ways
to extend sales of our
extensive line of
imported chocolates into
the off-season,” Valois
comments. “I’m also
considering buying additional companies to fill holes in our
business model.”
business experiences
are daily fluctuations in exchange
rates, rising
shipping costs,
timing of sales of
perishable products,
and keeping products
affordable for customers. Repeat
business is the mainstay of sales.
“Top priority is keeping our customers happy,” Valois affirms. “Being
accurate forecasters is crucial. It
ensures that we have the items our
customers want immediately
available. It’s this dependability that
keeps customers phoning and
ordering online. But the back end of
the order is equally important.”
Valois assures, “We double and triple
check all orders for accuracy before
shipping. There’s no room for error.
Every time we fulfill an order, our
reputation is on the line.” n
Other challenges of his import
11
S P O T L I G H T S
Vice Chancellor Sigmar
Gabriel Opens German
Accelerator New York City
By Jan Vater, GACC
T
he reception desk at the “Urban
Future Lab” in Brooklyn, New
York, is usually not this crowded.
Name tags were quickly handed
over to the numerous guests who
kept filling the office on the 19th
floor of 15 Metro Tech Center. Men
in dark suits and ear pieces screened
the surroundings, while caterers set
up the buffet, lights and sound were
checked again and again, and chairs
were set up in the conference room.
Meanwhile, in the back of the tech
incubator office, it was business as
usual. The young entrepreneurs
carried on with their daily business,
while the location filled with invited
guests. The reason why this was not
a regular Friday in the office was
that the German Accelerator had
invited to celebrate its grand
opening in New York City, welcoming Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel
and high-ranking Government and
industry representatives from
Germany and New York.
The German Accelerator, which
began in Silicon Valley three years
ago, has expanded to New York,
bringing the most promising
German technology startups to the
City. The growth acceleration
program which supports German ICT
and Green IT startups and helps
them to gain access to the U.S.
market successfully graduated its
first round of startups in the New
Tobias Schmidt (wywy), Elizabeth Wurm (IntraWorlds Inc.),
Stephan Herrlich (IntraWorlds Inc.), Joe Rhyne (German Accelerator)
12
York City location. Tobias Schmidt
from “wywy” and Stephan Herrlich
from “IntraWorlds” proudly presented their certificates of graduation to
guests and members of the press.
Shortly after the participants had
been presented with their certificates, Sigmar Gabriel, Federal
Minister for Economic Affairs and
Energy & Vice Chancellor, made his
way through the crowd and congratulated the German startup
companies.
After a meet and greet with the
graduates, the German Accelerator
team took the stage in the conference room to give feedback on the
successful start of the New York City
expansion. Among the speakers was
also Executive Vice President and
Managing Director for the Center
for Economic Transformation, Eric
Gertler, who underlined the importance of strong business relations
between New York City and German
companies:
"New York City is a global capital of
commerce and culture, and it is
important for our economy that we
encourage partnerships with foreign
partners, businesses, and entrepreneurs. By connecting New York
City’s local talent and businesses to
European startups and innovators,
we are strengthening and diversifying New York City’s globally
competitive economy and helping
New Yorkers in all five boroughs."
S P O T L I G H T S
Dietmar Rieg, Sigmar Gabriel, Caroll Neubauer, Joann Halpern, Dirk Kanngiesser
Sigmar Gabriel, who subsequently
addressed the audience, also
focused on the importance of New
York as an economic center for
German-American startup business
relations:
“We can see in New York how traditional sectors such as logistics and
manufacturing, not to mention the
world’s largest financial center,
have a productive symbiosis with
the startup scene. I am glad that we
can continue this successful
program that we have launched
three years ago in Silicon Valley.
German startups will be given
support here in New York, as they
venture out in the U.S. market.”
In order to ensure a successful
continuation of the German
Accelerator program, Siemens
TTB (Technology to Business)
was introduced as a new
strategic partner and sponsor.
Dr. Sven Scheuble, Head of the
Technology to Business Center at
Siemens Corporate Technology,
highlighted the importance of
partnership between corporates
and startups, as he was greeted by
the Vice-Chancellor.
“I always admired how
startup companies in the
U.S. conduct their business.
It appears that many of them
had to face stormy waters
and sometimes even
capsized. The key thing is
that they did not lose faith
and even after the first or
second set back they did
not give up, but tried again
and brought an even better
business idea to the
market.”
Sigmar Gabriel
Even after the official part of the
event had ended, guests stayed at
the Urban Future Lab, to enjoy the
amazing views of the Brooklyn
Bridge and World Trade Center
while having the opportunity to
speak to the graduates and representatives about the successful start
of the New York City expansion. n
13
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S P O T L I G H T S
GACC West 10th Anniversary
A Decade of Transatlantic Trade and Relations
For its 10-year anniversary, the GACC West traveled through time and
revisited over 150 years of German entrepreneurship in the Bay Area.
I
t is not every day that a Chamber
of Commerce ages a decade. The
GACC West duly celebrated its
decennial on October 21st in San
Francisco by gathering the board
members of the German American
Chamber of Commerce New York and
other top ranking representatives of
the Bay Area business community to
celebrate, network and expand
horizons. Participants were thoroughly entertained by an exciting
full-day program, featuring a
symposium and concluded by an
exclusive anniversary dinner, which
the Chamber put together in honor of
the occasion.
The celebration was set off by the
half-day German Innovation Symposium which took place at Bechtel
Conference Center in San Francisco
– an event kindly supported by the
“Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.” The
conference showcased the innovation
power of German companies such as
BMW, Carl Zeiss, Smaato and Robert
Bosch throughout different high-tech
industry sectors in the Silicon Valley
and Germany. With words of warm
welcome, Dr. Sabine Hepperle of the
German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs & Energy opened the
symposium. Among the renowned
speakers were Dr. Burton Lee (Stanford School of Engineering), Ludwig
Willisch (BMW) and Ralf Kuschnereit
(Carl Zeiss). In two panel discussions,
the innovation experts discussed how
the German “Mittelstand” has been
reinventing itself over decades and
how German e-mobility trends drive
innovation worldwide.
Following a successful symposium,
One Market Restaurant in San
Francisco opened its doors to herald
the most festive part of the day: The
GACC West Anniversary Dinner. Felix
Neugart of the Association of German
Chambers of Industry welcomed
around 65 prominent guests of the
German-American business community who enjoyed an exquisite
anniversary menu, while learning
curious facts about German entrepreneurship in the Bay Area from the
Gold Rush until today. In a time-lapse
presentation, GACC West Managing
Director Rene van den Hoevel took
his audience on an interactive journey
featuring long-established Bay Area
companies like Levi’s and Bayer
HealthCare, as well as young startups
like MINE Inc. – all of them united in
one room and sharing two commonalities: their German origin and a
venturing spirit. An evening full of
stories about early and late German
pioneers in the Bay Area demonstrated the sometimes impalpable but
deeply-rooted impact Germans had
and still have on Californian economy
and culture. Vivid images and present
guests illustrated how famous
Germans like Adolph Sutro, Levi
Strauss, Hartmut Esslinger (Frog
Design) and Rolf Herken (MINE Inc.)
Rene van den Hoevel (Managing Director - GACC West) presenting the history of
German entrepreneurship
15
S P O T L I G H T S
_Sponors:_
“Back in the day,
German pioneers came t
o California to hunt
for gold. Today, they are
not looking for gold, but
for tomorrow’s greatest
talents and innovations.”
Rene van
den Hoevel
From left to right: Andy von Bechtolsheim, Founder,
Arista Networks; Jürgen Siebenrock, VP of the Americas,
Lufthansa/GACC Board, Ludwig Willisch, President &
CEO, BMW/GACC Board
16
have influenced the Bay Area’s
character with their innovative
mentality and enterprising ideas.
As another tribute to its milestone
completion, the GACC West also
published its limited edition anniversary book “German Entrepreneurship
in the Bay Area & Beyond”. Distributed as a present to all guests and
select German subsidiaries, the book
offers a detailed look on the economic
and cultural development of the Bay
Area from a German perspective and
recaps the experiences and steady
growth of the San Francisco-based
Chamber over the past ten years.
Similar to the first German pioneers
of the Gold Rush times, who paved
the way for all following German
settlers and merchants with experience and an established network, the
German American Chambers of
Commerce provide support for
German companies entering the U.S.
market today. Even though the history
of the GACC West is fairly young, the
network of German American
Chambers of Commerce dates back
many years and has been vital for the
success of many companies in the
Bay Area and throughout the U.S. The
GACCs are part of a global network of
130 chambers in 90 countries,
offering a membership network and
providing support for German small
and mid-size companies trying to
venture abroad. With the ever-growing importance of the Silicon Valley
for the U.S. economy, an office in San
Francisco was established in 2004 to
help promote transatlantic trade on
the West Coast and focus on innovative industries, such as IT, biotech and
renewable energies. It is a known fact
that the Bay Area in Northern
California represents a major economic region in the U.S. and is one of the
most unique innovation centers in the
world. It offers the perfect breeding
ground for trailblazing ideas, strongselling products and services, and is
home to the largest and fastest-growing companies in North America. One
seventh of all U.S. patents are granted
and over 40% of all global venture
capital is invested here. The area is
known for welcoming entrepreneurs
and unconventional thinkers from all
over the world. German pioneers in
particular have shaped the spirit and
character of the Bay Area - from
banks to breweries, some of California’s first big corporations were established by Germans and are still
successfully operating today. Thus,
the decision to open up a new branch
office in San Francisco did not come
From left to right: Daniel Kellmereit, CEO, Detecon, Inc.; Marlou Janssen, President,
Biotronik, Inc.; Ragnar Kruse, CEO, Smaato, Inc.; Ralf Kuschnereit, President & CEO, Carl
Zeiss Meditec, Inc.; Jürgen Friedrich, CEO, Germany Trade & Invest; Thorsten Alsleben, CEO,
Association for Medium-sized Enterprises and Economy of CDU/CSU
S P O T L I G H T S
“In tonight’s game, the San Francisco Giants won 7:1 in the World Series.
This illustrates how I feel about the entire trip and the GACC West’s 10-year
anniversary celebrations: Both have been great successes and the Chamber
in San Francisco can be proud of its accomplishments.”
Dietmar Rieg
as a surprise and has been an
important step to grow transatlantic
trade on the West Coast.
The celebration, as well as the
creation of the anniversary book,
was kindly supported by the Paramount Group, Inc., BSH Home
Appliances, MINE Inc. and Carroll
Burdick & McDonough. With regards
to information and content, GACC
West’s partners Germany Trade and
Invest and the Bay Area Economic
Council made valuable contributions
to the Festschrift. Considering its
great partnerships, an outstanding
anniversary celebration that concluded ten successful years, the
GACC West can look into a bright
future with a growing office that is
reflecting the growth of transatlantic
trade and relations. n
From left to right: Hartmut Esslinger,
Founder, Frog Design & Alexander Imberg,
Partner, Carroll, Burdick & McDonough
LLP/GACC Board
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Financial Services Authority. Details available on request. Incorporated in Germany as a stock corporation with limited liability.
S P O T L I G H T S
German Food is not the Wurst!
A Taste of Germany II – German Specialty
& Organic Products Beyond Bratwurst
By Jan Vater, GACC
T
he U.S. food market is large – in
fact it is colossal. No other
country has a similar per capita
consumption of groceries, beverages,
and agricultural products. Therefore,
it comes as no surprise that German
exporters are continuously seeking
new opportunities to place their
products in this competitive market.
In recent years, however, demand for
inexpensive mass products has been
on the decline. American consumers
increasingly prefer fresh produce
over frozen food, smaller snacks are
replacing larger meals, and bottled
water and low-calorie beverages are
trending. Additional competition
came in form of a growing organic
and specialty foods market in the
U.S. Stores such as Whole Foods and
Trader Joe’s are known for their vast
18
range of organic products. Other
chains such as Fairway also offer a
large selection of organic and
specialty products. Even U.S.
hypermarket juggernaut Wal-Mart
has recently announced that it will
expand its product portfolio, adding
affordable organic produce.
It seems that Americans are saying
goodbye to burgers and fries in favor
of healthier and more specialized
consumer choices. Per definition,
specialty food products are foods and
beverages that exemplify quality,
innovation and style. According to
the Specialty Food Association,
further characteristics are originality,
authenticity, ethnic or cultural origin,
specific processing, ingredients,
limited supply, distinctive use,
extraordinary packaging or specific
channels of distribution or sale. Of
course, outstanding quality often
commands a premium price.
The up-and-coming organic and
specialty foods market segment in
the U.S. offers a profitable niche,
also for German companies. Traditionally, anything labeled “natural”
in Germany carries a premium. Some
argue that it is due to the fact that
wilderness in Germany has largely
been tamed to the point of extinction. However, the diverse selection
of specialty and organic products
“made in Germany” has great
potential to supply the increasing
demand in the U.S.
S P O T L I G H T S
Hans Adler OHG
Raw ham and bacon specialties
Beltane Naturkost GmbH
Spice mixes, marinades and salad mixes
Friedenfels - felsenfest in Qualität
Schlossbrauerei Friedenfels GmbH
16 types of beer, soda and lemonade
In order to assist German companies
from the specialties and organic food
sector, the German American Chamber
of Commerce organized a 5-day
business trip to New York City in March
2014 on behalf of the German Federal
Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
Eight German company representatives
came to New York City to present
their products in front of a broad
audience and met potential U.S.
business partners.
The first business delegation event in the
spring of this year proved to be a great
success for the eight German companies
and paved the way for a sequel in the
fall. On October 27, 2014, the German
American Chamber of Commerce in
cooperation with the German Consulate
General opened the doors of the German
House and hosted the kick-off event for
“A Taste of Germany – Part II”. Again, a
group of eight German specialty and
organic products enterprises took the
stage at the rooftop restaurant of the
German House and displayed their
various products.
The room was filled with a
delicious variety of German
“Delikatessen”, ranging from wines
by Weinbau Dr. Lippold and
Weinmanufaktur Montana; baked
goods by Huober Brezel GmbH &
Co and Wilhelm Prünte GmbH;
jams and jellies by FrüchteMeer
Konfitürenmanufaktur; beer by
Friedenfelser Beteiligungs-GmbH &
Co. KG; spice mixes by Beltane
Naturkost GmbH; and Black Forest
ham by Hans Adler OHG.
After a welcome breakfast and
tasting of the products, Rabbi
Menachem Genack, CEO of the
Orthodox Union, welcomed the
new round of eight companies and
the large group of invited guests
consisting of food distributors,
importers, brokers, retailers, and
industry experts. Rabbi Genack’s
introduction was followed by
several contributions and presentations, ranging from legal advice to
valuable insight into U.S. market
segments and distributions. n
FrüchteMeer Konfitürenmanufaktur
Jams and jellies
Huober Brezel GmbH & Co.
Salted crackers and snacks,
pretzels and salted pretzel sticks
Weinbau Dr. Lippold
Riesling wine
Weinmanufaktur Montana
GmbH & Co. KG
Riesling, white and red Burgundy,
Rivaner, Silvaner and Chardonnay
Wilhelm Prünte GmbH
Whole grain bread and bread specialties
19
S P O T L I G H T S
You Don’t Innovate by Yourself
A Day of Dialogue and Exchange
at the Inspiration for Innovation Forum
“It was a day full
of discussions,
exchange, and
networking.
Everyone left
inspired, with new
insight and a vision
to share with
their colleagues.”
Simone Pohl,
President & CEO,
GACC Midwest
20
O
n a beautiful sun-filled Friday
afternoon, GACC Midwest
invited representatives of the
German-American business community to leave the bustling city of
Chicago to get inspired to think
outside of the box.
Overlooking the gorgeous Lake
Geneva from the luxurious Abbey
Resort, the group had the chance to
hear leading innovators reveal their
visions and enter into a dialogue on
how to trigger innovative thinking,
how to choose the right growth
strategies, and how to find the right
employees to be successful.
We all know that innovation plays a
vital role in the world of business but it doesn't come easily, acknowledged our Chairman W. David Braun
when he opened the forum.
Key Note Trends
in Innovation
Our keynote speaker Howard
Tullamn was a wonderful example
of entrepreneurial courage. The
CEO of Chicago’s famous startup
hub 1871 has successfully launched
more than a dozen high-tech
companies in the past 45 years.
And he was willing to let our
audience into the secrets of innovation. In a highly engaging presentation, the serial entrepreneur
introduced 5 major trends for the
future of innovation. By highlighting that today, companies “are
competing against everything,” he
made it very clear that business
challenges have changed significantly over the last years. In his
view, companies who want to be
true innovators need to switch from
relying on diagnosing the past to
courageously following prognoses
for the future.
After a highly engaging keynote, the
first panel featured industry-crossing
speakers Naurex, GE FirstBuilt,
Fraunhofer, University of Notre
Dame, Plasmatreat, and Probat
Burns. The panelists openly discussed
their challenges in the innovation
process and possible solutions – especially when it comes to the pace of
transformative developments, and to
accessing a skilled workforce. All
panelists agreed that a culture of
innovation needs a positive attitude
toward failure, an emphasis on talent
retention, and more than anything,
an ever open mind!
Growth Strategies Panel – Organic & Non-Organic Growth
In the second panel, the moderator
discussed organic and non-organic
(M&A) growth strategies with five
top-tier speakers. Executives from
Johnson Controls, Roland Berger,
You want ...
Voxeljet, Quarles & Brady, Roedl
& Partner, and Bosch Rexroth
revealed their different growth
strategies. The panel agreed that
every approach needs to respect
the different corporate culture(s)
involved, and that it is crucial to
keep a bidirectional trajectory that
embraces the new!
● Corporate Banking and
Transaction Services
● Structured Finance, Capital
Markets and Investment
Products
● Access to Western, Central
and Eastern Europe
Midwest Oktoberfest
Keynote and panels provided the
attendees with a lot of food for
thought – to end the day right, the
GACC hosted its very own Midwest
Oktoberfest! With Brats, Bretzn, and
German beers, everyone enjoyed a
wonderful dinner party, while the
Hirsch band was providing an
authentic Oktoberfest soundtrack to a
successful day of inspiration in Lake
Geneva. We would like to thank all
our sponsors and attendees for
making the inaugural innovation
forum the success that it was. n
Please contact:
Innovation Panel
UniCredit Bank AG
New York Branch
150 East 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017
Tel. +1 212 672 6000
www.unicredit.eu
Investment Banking, Capital Markets and Investment Services are provided
in the US by UniCredit Capital Markets LLC, a member of FINRA and SIPC.
This advertisement has been issued by UniCredit Bank AG, a member
of the UniCredit Group of companies. UniCredit Bank AG is regulated by
Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin).
S P O T L I G H T S
21st Century Manufacturing
C
hances are that if you drove
your car today, mowed your
yard this weekend, or replaced any of
your appliances recently, a Woelco
label was on your product. Woelco
Labeling Solutions (WLS), located in
Mooresville NC, servicing North/
South America, manufactures
technical labels, die cut parts, and
tags for industrial applications.
Woelco has been present in the U.S.
for over 15 years, although Woelco
Germany was founded more than 50
years ago. Created for the purposes
of bringing technical labels to
specialized industries like automotive, Woelco creates custom-made
solutions for a variety of industries
including aerospace, automotive,
chemical, electrical, equipment,
electronics, food, gas, metal, military,
packaging, plastics, textiles, tooling
and many other product categories.
Automotive component identification
22
Global Supplier of Labels
and Identification Solutions
Woelco established itself in the USA
to service global customers on a local
level, bringing German quality
manufacturing to all of their markets.
Additional locations include Ehningen, Germany and Changzhou, China
which service Europe/Africa and
Asia/Australia respectively. Woelco is
one of the few global manufacturers
of labels who can coordinate global
strategic partnerships for ISO TS
certified products. Collectively, these
three international locations have
created thousands of solutions
throughout the years, and all of these
different label solutions are available
from each Woelco location. Woelco
prides itself on bringing global
solutions to local markets by producing in local facilities. Many of these
solutions are technical and are
designed for industrial applications
for permanent parts marking.
Most solutions are developed with
a “long life” film material.
It is these complex material solutions
that require Woelco to place heavy
emphasis on their ISO TS Quality
Certification. "We learned many years
ago that customers were frustrated
with having no technical labeling
manufacturer for industrial labels.
Many labeling companies are focused
on consumer solutions instead of
extreme solutions for industry, such
as automotive. That is why we
invested heavily in our ISO TS
Certifications in order to support our
customers with technical products at
the highest quality level", said Petra
Weiser, Operations Manager of
Woelco Labeling Solutions. In fact,
Woelco Labeling Solutions was
one of the first labeling companies
to achieve the ISO TS Quality
Certification worldwide.
Woelco’ s manufacturing capability
exceeds millions of labels in a day
with equipment ranging from rotary
flexo to letterpress to digital.
Additional equipment includes
slitters and other cutting equipment
to create the various shapes and die
cuts required by customers. A highly
disciplined training program,
initiated by Woelco for developing
local talented professionals, has
proven to be extremely successful.
This has allowed the addition of
several new employees, who are now
cross-training among the different
pieces of equipment. This training is
certainly paying big dividends in
customer satisfaction, as WLS has
recently surpassed 300 days without
an accepted customer complaint.
While each location serves markets
with unique product requests, Woelco
prides itself on having similar
capabilities amongst all their
manufacturing facilities. This allows
the other locations to cover production in case of emergency situations,
such as natural disasters. The USA
division has been very successful in
also acting as a distributor and
integrator. "In the USA, our customers are surprised to learn that we are
a “one-stop shop” for all solutions
S P O T L I G H T S
pertaining to
“Identification." In
addition to technical
labels, Woelco can
also supply simple
solutions like industrial
printers, ribbons, and barcode
scanners. But we can also supply
very complicated solutions with
various technologies such as custom
made labeling equipment, laser
etching equipment, vision systems,
and software that can all be integrated into a total solution," says
Patrick Noone, Vice President Sales
& Marketing, WLS.
Woelco also manufactures labeling
equipment in Germany to accompany the labels produced in Mooresville, providing their customers with
a complete “beginning to end”
solution. A key to Woelco’ s continued growth is their ability to
manufacture this custom-made
labeling equipment, combined with
other technologies. "Many years ago
I learned from my father that we
needed to provide a complete
equipment solution, so that our
customers can come to one resource
for a total solution of labels and
equipment," said Dieter Woelfle,
CEO and owner of Woelco. Many of
these equipment solutions can be
viewed at WoelcoUS - YouTube –
videos, as well as Woelco’s website,
www.woelco.com
As Woelco’s business continues to
grow, the plan is to increase their
support for
their NAFTA
customers through a
recently announced partnership in Mexico with an engineering
sales organization. This partner will
represent Woelco throughout all of
Mexico and will help service their
NAFTA customers through improved
communication, Spanish translation,
timely service, weekly/monthly
visits, and local professional
representation.
Woelco’s solutions are included in
many high-end technical products
like BMW and VW automobiles, F16
fighter jets, and Bosch automotive
parts. No matter what the need,
Woelco can help with any identification solution. n
Contact info:
Inquiries can be made to
Patrick Noone at 704-929-5668
or by calling the Woelco office
at 704-664-1027.
>> www.woelco.com
Woelco's NC manufacturing facility
Self-adhesive labels in the slitting process
23
WE
MAKE
PROGRESS
WORK
Lars Franck works at Bilfinger. He has brought things to a halt at the TOTAL asphalt plant in
Brunsbüttel, and for good reason: the plant is undergoing an extensive upgrade in connection
with turnaround activities. Bilfinger is performing maintenance and repairs, but also optimising
and recommissioning the plant to run more efficiently and better than ever! www.bilfinger.com
G T A I
I N D U S T R Y
T A L K
Ethnic Diversity of U.S. Population
Puts Food Industry on the Spot
By Christian Janetzke, Germany Trade and Invest
Translation from German by Sandy Jones, GACC
T
he demographic profile of the
United States is likely to change
drastically by mid-century in view of
the ethnic composition of the
population. According to the PEW
Research Center, the percentage of
the population with Hispanic or
Asian roots will grow rapidly
between 2011 and 2050. Together,
these two groups are likely to make
up 40% of the population by the end
of said time frame. A deciding
prerequisite for the continuation of
this trend, however, is that the U.S.
immigration policy remains more or
less the same.
Asian
Black
Hispanic
Year
White
Source: PEW Research Center
In line with this development, the
demand for foods seen as typical for
a culture or a country outside the
U.S. (so-called ethnic food) is rising.
The exact definition for such foods is
in a gray area. Market experts agree
on the great potential for growth.
According to Mintel Group, a market
research institute, revenue generated
with the sale of such foods in
supermarkets increased by a total of
4.5% to US$8.7 billion between 2010
1960
85 3.5 11 0.5
2011
63 17 12 5
2050
47 29 13 9
Share of total population according
to major ethnic groups in %
and 2012. Between 2012 and 2017,
the market is said to continue to
grow in a robust way with a total
growth of 20.3%.
Food Industry
Prepares for Demand
According to Mondeléz International,
one of the world’s largest snack companies, the company is watching the
demographic shift in the U.S. now
more than ever. Its focus here is on
the growing ethnic diversity, which
largely determines the product
portfolio of the company at the
moment. According to market
observers, primarily residents of
Hispanic and Asian descent show a
strong interest in foods that are
typical for their respective cultures.
According to different companies in
this sector, due to the increasing
buying power of these ethnic groups,
it is crucial for the food industry to
satisfy their demand by means of
new product creations. Especially the
rapidly growing Hispanic population
is becoming increasingly important
as consumer. Between 2011 and
2015, its share in the U.S. population
is likely to increase by 12%. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it can
be assumed that approximately 128
million residents from this culture
group will live in the U.S. by the
middle of the century.
According to Packaged Foods, a
market research institute, the market
volume of typical Hispanic foods and
beverages is likely to grow from
US$8 billion to US$11 billion
between 2012 and 2017. In 2011,
approximately 63% of the U.S.
population that were of Hispanic
descent had a Mexican background.
Analysts especially anticipate a high
potential for growth for foods that
are typical for that country. In the
beverage segment, Jarritos is
becoming more and more popular. In
times of decreasing sales figures for
carbonated soft drinks, the sales
volume of the Mexican fruit-flavored
soda shows a significant increase.
Demand for the soft drink is not only
coming from specific culture groups.
Young U.S. Americans without a
migrant background support its
market development, showing a keen
interest in the variety of the culinary
portfolio, says Mintel Group.
According to a survey conducted by
the market research institute in
January 2013, 90% of the surveyed
group age 25 to 34 have prepared
“ethnic food” in the past month.
Among the group age 68 and older
the number amounted to 68%.
According to the survey, the Hispanic
cuisine is the most popular across all
age groups. The expanding range of
products of Cuban, Mexican and
other Latin-American restaurants
provides an incentive to prepare
similar dishes at home, according to
market observers. When it comes to
ethnic food, the product portfolio of
specialized vendors as well as the
25
G T A I
I N D U S T R Y
T A L K
GTAI
INDUSTRY TALK
Detailed industry reports, written by the U.S.
correspondents of German Trade and Invest
(GTAI), the official German foreign trade and
inward investment agency.
traditional food industry is rapidly
increasing. Companies of the latter
sector are starting to replace traditionally used foods in their product
lines with ingredients that are typical
for the Asian and Latin-American
cuisine. For example, Campbell Soup
Company, the industry giant, has
launched a new chicken noodle soup
product line in 2013, replacing
noodles with quinoa. Several niche
products in the area of ethnic food,
such as quinoa and lemongrass, have
the potential to become bestselling
products within the space of a few
years, according to market experts.
Some typical Mexican dishes such as
tacos and burritos have already
arrived in that segment.
Demand for New
Packaging Design
This development is highly relevant
26
for the packaging industry, since
specific packaging is more and more
in demand. Such packaging is to
attract the targeted consumer groups
with its design. Analysts also notice
a progressive blending of trends
regarding ethnic and convenience
foods. According to Packaged
Facts, a high dynamic can be seen
when the respective products
are introduced into the market. Here,
the food industry is searching for
new packaging options to meet such
demand. Campbell Soup Company,
for example, has launched a new “to
go” soup that can be prepared in one
minute. Various variations of this
soup contain amongst other things
ingredients such as soy, coconut milk
and green chili peppers. Experts
notice a persistent growth potential
for products that combine classic
Asian as well as Hispanic recipes and
About the Author
Christian Janetzke
Director, Germany Trade and Invest
75 Broad Street, 21st Floor
New York, NY 10004
T 212-584-9717
>> www.gtai.de
ingredients. Thus, dishes such as
sushirrito (sushi wrapped in a
burrito) gain a lot of interest.
According to Mintel Group,
predominantly young adults drive
the market in this segment. A
strong interest in new product
creations using tastes unknown to
those young adults is noticeable,
says the market research institute. n
W A S H I N G T O N
U P D A T E
U.S. Sanctions at a Glance
On September 23rd,
2014 the Representative
of German Industry and
Trade (RGIT), together
with the German Embassy
held a workshop on U.S.
sanctions against Russia.
T
he event came on the heels of a
speech which Chancellor Merkel
made to the Federation of German
Industries (BDI) in Berlin. Her speech
took what many have described as
her toughest tone against Russia to
date, making it clear that Russia is
breaching “the foundation of our
coexistence in Europe” with its
actions in Ukraine. While events in
Berlin were more politically focused,
the focus of the event in Washington
was to provide an overview for
German companies and interested
stakeholders of current U.S. sanctions against Russia and their
implications for the international
business community.
While it was pointed out that there
are in fact no ‘risk free’ options
when employing sanctions, the U.S.
and EU have developed joint
sanctions based on shared strategic
assumptions that they believe will
bring Russia back to the negotiating
table. Compared with past efforts,
officials noticed that the EU and
U.S. sanctions are
remarkable in the
fact that there are
far more similarities
than differences
between the two
regimes. The close
coordination of
sanctions
against Russia
has come
about as
28
About the Author
Elizabeth Livengood, Director Trade
Policy at the Representative of German Industry and Trade (RGIT).
>> www.rgit-usa.com
the result of a great deal of effort
and coordination on both sides of
the Atlantic.
The Office of Foreign Assets
Control (OFAC) has issued two
types of sanctions against Russia to
date. The first are more traditional
blocking sanctions which prohibit
dealings with listed individuals and
companies. These sanctions target
three groups: (1) individuals who
supported separatists in Crimea and
Ukraine; (2) Russian officials
involved in decisions that were
made in Crimea and Ukraine; and
(3) Russian oligarchs who have
W A S H I N G T O N
been longtime supporters of
Putin and have helped him achieve
his policy goals. While the sanctions are significant, the U.S. has
tried to minimize collateral costs
and have taken great care not to
have an adverse impact on global
energy prices.
The second type of sanctions is
sector-specific. In this vein, the
U.S. has further restricted Russian
access to capital markets for loans
maturing in more than 30 days
with a particular eye to the finance
and energy sectors. In the defense
export sector, the U.S. has also
increased the number of items on
the list of prohibited dual-use
goods. Rather than focusing on
Russia’s current energy market,
these sanctions are specifically
aimed at limiting Russia’s ability to
develop technologies used in
fracking and arctic drilling, which
would enable them to secure future
energy supply.
The U.S. government maintains
that the current sanctions are
having the desired impact on the
Russian economy and see it as a
good sign that the Russian government did not immediately impose
retaliatory measures following the
latest round of sanctions in
September. Officials recently
highlighted that the U.S. government has made every effort to
cooperate with third countries
throughout the process. While
many third countries not directly
involved in the sanctions have been
very cooperative, the U.S. has made
it clear that they will be keeping a
close eye on the market, and
attempts to backfill and thereby
undermine the sanctions regime
will not be tolerated. The U.S. is
hopeful that sanctions will bring
about a peaceful resolution to the
Ukraine conflict; however, the U.S.
will only respond to concrete
action on the part of Russia and is
prepared to expand the sanctions
regime if necessary.
U P D A T E
The sanctions, while aimed at
being straightforward, can be
complicated. While due diligence
on listed persons and company
ownership is often a clear first
step, one usually has to drill down
several layers to understand all the
implications of the sanctions for
companies with broader holdings.
More specific information regarding
the latest U.S. sanctions against
Russia is available at the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Ukraine-related Sanctions resource center and the
U.S. Department of State’s Ukraine
and Russia Sanctions page. n
The panel featured (from left to right):
Peter Harrell, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs at the
Department of State; Ambassador Daniel Fried, Coordinator of Sanctions Policy at the U.S.
Department of State; Brian O’Toole, Senior Sanctions Policy Advisor at the Department
of the Treasury; and Michael E. Burke, Partner at Arnall, Golden, & Gregory LLP.
29
W E L C O M E
T O
T H E
C - S U I T E
Interview with
Claudio Caobianco
Executive Vice President, Haver Filling Systems
GAT: Mr. Caobianco, you have
worked for the Haver Group since
2005, primarily in the Latin
American market. What compelled
you to transfer to the North
American market?
Claudio Caobianco,
Executive Vice President,
Haver Filling Systems
WELCOME
TO THE
C
-SUITE
Introducing New C-Level Executives to the
German-American Business Community
30
Claudio Caobianco (CC): I was
compelled to transfer to the North
American market by the challenge of
understanding and thriving in a new
environment. HAVER is involved
globally in the wire weaving and
machinery segments. The Wire
Weaving Division produces woven
wire mesh and processes it into
engineered woven wire products.
They are used for screening and filtration by the chemical, plastics,
automotive, aviation, aerospace,
electronics, foodstuffs and feed
industries, as well as for architectural
applications and analysis sieves.
The Machinery Division specializes in
storage, loading, unloading, packing,
filling, and weighing, palletizing and
mineral processing equipment. The
product range includes packing and
loading systems for powder-type and
granulated materials, food and animal
feed, as well as complete filling
stations for liquid and pasty products.
The division for mineral processing
includes screening machines, washing
technology, pelletizing discs, processing plants. These varies levels of
expertise allow us to provide full line
solutions to our customers, not only
in one market but globally, with
complete integration. Therefore,
combining these solutions with the
ability to carry over best practices
from my past experience in another
market into the North American
market provides for an exciting
future. Lastly, I always wanted to be
linked to a successful and resource
rich company such as HAVER, where
it is possible to gain an enormous
amount of knowledge and knowhow,
which allows our abilities to reach
their maximum potential.
GAT: What do you believe are
some of the prominent differences
between the Latin and the North
American market? Where do
you see challenges in dealing with
a new market?
CC: Beyond economic and legislation differences between the two
markets, there are specific differences
in industry practices, such as cement
dispatch in bulk is predominant in
North America, while bagged cement
dispatch is standard in Latin America. Another area of difference is the
higher level of automation required
by the North American customer.
Overall markets are increasing in the
areas of processing, storage, mixing,
filling, packing, palletizing and
loading in both regions, as well as
demand for wear parts and service.
In terms of challenges, the common
one is handling a large territory as
big as North America in providing
proper commercial coverage, while
supporting the industry with
exceptional product development
and the highest standard of service.
Though we are committed to
exceeding customer expectations and
the demands of an ever changing
W E L C O M E
industry. We are meeting the
challenges of this market by increasing our local assembly, production
and emphasys on our business units’
commercial coverage (Cement,
Building Materials & Minerals,
Chemicals, Mining, Food and
Service) throughout our region.
HAVER is one of North America's
most respected solutions providers,
as well as in Latin America, focused
on using the latest technology.
GAT: Haver Group is a global
company. In which fields do you see
the highest potential for growth?
CC: Industries nowadays are signaling towards more intelligent and
networked production systems, which
mean more efficient, rapid and
flexible work processes in companies.
HAVER as a group is taking on this
challenge to enrich our customers
value-adding chains providing
complete solutions through our
leading technology brands – HAVER,
BEHN+BATES, FEIGE, IBAU and
NEWTEC - customizing solutions for
the handling, storage, filling, packing
and palletizing of cement, building
materials and minerals, chemicals and
liquid and pasty products. HAVER
innovative machine technologies of
different brands can be linked
together to form complete systems.
This allows modules within the
customer's process to be maximized,
or total systems to be newly defined
and set up. As a solutions provider we
see a huge potential for growth in the
service area, from complete engineered plants until its full operation,
embracing related areas as maintenance, retrofit and refurbishing.
GAT: Last year the facility in
Conyers, GA was expandedby
adding 4,300 square feet. How
has this improved your processes
and production? Is even further
Haver Filling Systems, Inc. Building in Conyers, GA.
T O
T H E
C - S U I T E
expansion of the facility possible
in the next few years?
CC: The expansion has allowed for
faster, high quality assembly and
production of our machines. Along
with increasing the allocated area for
spare parts and our logistics processes. We have also been able to increase
our material and bag testing areas.
We have expanded again. Newly
inaugurated this year, we have added
the HYDRO-CLEAN testing area for
the material washing process. While
our customers expect solutions that
often go beyond our general product
range, we are focused on innovation
and technical developments in order
to meet their expectations. This has
lead time and time again to a successful partnership with our customers.
We have been driven by consistent
and sustainable business developments
since the family-owned company was
founded 125 years ago. n
Valve Bag Packaging Machine, INTEGRA 4L
31
S T A T E
S P E C I A L
Georgia
Everything’s Coming up Peaches
by Hannah Weinrich, Contributing Writer
G
eorgia – just reading the name
evokes images that have long
characterized the Peach State’s
undeniable charm. We begin to hear
Ray Charles’ smooth voice remind us
that all roads lead back to Georgia,
and the iconic image of Scarlett
O’Hara in the arms of Rhett Butler
transport us back to a world “gone
with the wind”. But it’s not all cotton
and romance; the state’s famous red
clay has also played stage to moments
that have changed the course of
American history and left their mark
on national culture. Today, all minds
are once again on Georgia, but this
time as a fertile region for thriving
business, making Georgia synonymous with economic success. Having
steadily gained popularity in the
international business
world over the
past few decades, Georgia has
ultimately come to take its place as
the undeniable economic power house
of the American southeast, the fastest
growing business region in America.
The No.1 Place to Do Business
This claim to fame isn’t just smoke
and mirrors. Within the past year,
Georgia was voted the No. 1 place to
do business multiple times. In late
2013, Site Selection Magazine named
Georgia the state with the best
business climate according to its
annual ranking of states’ attractiveness to corporate facility investors.
This top ranking was followed by
another in 2014 when CNBC named
Georgia the No. 1 place for
business in the nation, an
impressive jump from its
No. 8 ranking in 2013.
Last but not least,
Georgia recently unseated Texas for the No. 1 spot on
Area Development Magazine’s list of top places to do
business in the U.S., a ranking
based on business environment
and labor climate, as well as infrastructure and global access.
Georgia Facts
Capital: Atlanta
Population: 9.9 million
No. of German facilities: 481
German Trade: $11.5 billion
Major Industries: Aerospace,
Agribusiness, Automotive, IT,
Energy and Environment, Life
Sciences, Logistics & Transportation,
Manufacturing, Tourism
32
German Investment
With over 400 German subsidiaries
operating across the state, including
top names like BASF, SAP, and
Siemens, many German companies
have already recognized the benefits
of Georgia’s business-friendly
climate. A wide range of industries
thrive here, including automotive;
logistics and transportation;
aerospace; IT; medicine and biotechnology; tourism; renewable
energies; and most recently film. It
can therefore come as no surprise
that 17 Fortune 500 companies have
their headquarters in the Peach
State, including CNN, Coca-Cola,
Delta Airlines, Home Depot and
UPS. These giants are joined by
more than 3,000 international
companies from various industries,
with foreign direct investment
experiencing a 27% increase during
the last fiscal year. According to the
Georgia Department of Economic
Development (GDEcD), Germany
ranks first among foreign countries
in the number of facilities they have
in Georgia with a total of 481
locations, nearly one-third of which
are manufacturing operations. These
companies include names like
ElringKlinger, Wika, and ZF Friedrichshafen and employ more than
20,000 Georgians. Germany is also
one of Georgia’s top 5 investor
nations; in 2014 alone, German
investment reached into the double
digit millions due to planned facility
expansions from companies like
Kautex Textron and Gerresheimer,
which should also create over 100
new jobs.
S T A T E
Porsche: Bringing Intelligent
Performance to Georgia
One of the most exciting investment
developments in recent years has
been Porsche’s decision to build their
new headquarters at Aerotropolis
Atlanta. Set to open in 2015, this
development will further solidify
Georgia’s place on the list of
southeastern states that are home to
other illustrious names in German
car manufacturing like BMW,
Mercedes, and Volkswagen. While
Porsche has had offices in Atlanta
since 1998, this new 100-milliondollar investment is evidence of their
resolve to take root in Georgia for
good. The local workforce was one of
the primary reasons Porsche chose
Georgia from the other 73 sites taken
under consideration, scoring highest
on their elaborate evaluation system
that weighed factors like logistics,
transportation, workforce, and land
costs. The new headquarters will
employ around 400 people and
create 100 new jobs, and the impressive building of glass and steel – perfectly representative of their cars’
sleek, smart designs – will feature
office space, a museum, restaurant,
and a 1.6-mile test track.
Logistics and Infrastructure
While Georgia has many factors to
thank for its economic success,
enviable infrastructure and market
access are its undeniable aces in the
hole. A triumvirate of expertly
developed air, land, and sea transportation options is a logistical
dream for international companies.
Atlanta is home to the HartsfieldJackson International Airport – the
busiest international airport in the
world – and brings over 95 million
people to destinations across 6
continents and 50 countries every
year. Georgia also boasts two
deep-sea ports in Savannah and
Brunswick, with Savannah ranking
as the second busiest deep-sea port
on the American east coast just after
New York. Georgia also enjoys an
ideal location for inland distribution,
with an extensive network of
highways and railway lines that
allow companies to reach 80% of the
American market within just 2 days.
S P E C I A L
Qualified Work Force
Successful business requires a skilled
work force, which is why Georgia
has focused on workforce training,
hiring, and education in its effort to
help businesses grow. International
companies benefit from Georgia’s
extensive higher education system
(one of the largest in the nation),
which includes internationally
renowned schools like Georgia Tech
and Emory. U.S. News & World
Report has ranked Georgia Tech
among the top 10 public universities
Competitive Advantages
International companies haven’t
chosen to invest in Georgia on a
whim, but because the state’s
amiable business climate, ideal
location, and attractive incentives
are just too good to deny. The state’s
prosperous manufacturing sector,
which includes many German
companies, makes it even easier for
other German businesses to relocate
or expand here.
33
S T A T E
S P E C I A L
in the U.S. for 14 consecutive years,
and the university also offers a dual
degree program in cooperation with
the Technical University of Munich.
Selection of German Subsidiaries
in Georgia
BASF Corp. (Savannah)
BESTAR, LLC (Atlanta)
BLG Logistics, Inc. (Marietta)
BMW of North America, LLC (Atlanta)
Bosch Rexroth Corporation (Duluth)
Continental Tire the Americas, LLC (Gainesville)
Coppenrath USA, LP (Cumming)
Dachser Transport of America, Inc. (Atlanta)
DB Schenker (College Park)
DEKRA North America, Inc. (Marietta)
DEUTZ Corporation (Norcross)
Ernst & Young, LLP (Atlanta)
Expotechnik America, Ltd. (Suwanne)
Grenzebach Corporation (Newnan)
Hansgrohe, Inc. (Alpharetta)
Haver Filling Systems, Inc. (Conyers)
Heidelberg USA, Inc. (Kennesaw)
Hella, Inc. (Peachtree City)
I.K. Hofmann USA, Inc. (Atlanta)
IFF, Inc. (Atlanta/College Park)
INP North America, Inc. (Alpharetta)
Jamestown Management Corp. (Atlanta)
KettenWulf USA, LP (Austell)
Kraiburg-TPE (Duluth)
Kuehne + Nagel Inc. (East Point)
Lufthansa Cargo (Atlanta)
MAGE SOLAR (Dublin)
PFAFF Industrial of America, Inc. (Norcross)
Poggenpohl Atlanta (Atlanta)
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Atlanta)
Porsche Consulting, Inc. (Atlanta)
Robert Bosch Corporation (Atlanta)
Rödl & Partner / Rödl Langford de Kock (Atlanta)
Senator International Freight Forwarding, (Atlanta)
Siemens Energy, Inc. (Atlanta)
Siemens Healthcare, Inc. (Atlanta)
Siemens Industry, Inc. (Atlanta)
ThyssenKrupp Elevator (Marietta)
ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions, Inc. (Atlanta)
WIKA Instrument, LP (Lawrenceville)
ZF Sachs-North America (Newnan)
34
The state has also developed Georgia
Quick Start, an exceptional workforce
training model that currently ranks
No. 1 in the nation, which aims to
supplement international investors
with the qualified personnel they
need. This program has trained more
than one million Georgians according
to the skilled labor needs of each
company, thus facilitating a strong
and mutually beneficial partnership
between the Peach State and international businesses.
Other Incentives
Georgia is committed to creating a
favorable business climate by
offering various attractive statutory
and discretionary incentives, and has
maintained a comparatively low
corporate tax rate of just 6% since
1969. Companies here can enjoy
diverse energy tax exemptions and
tax credits for job creation. Atlanta
and Savannah are among the state’s
15 free-trade areas in which all goods
can be stored and processed tax-free,
which greatly supports the state’s
many manufacturing and logistics
companies. Many international
companies also appreciate the less
pronounced trade union culture
within the state, and below-average
land and energy prices, a comfortable
climate, and high quality of life are
even more reasons why Georgia is
such a popular place for investment.
The German Connection
As a respected center for international
trade, Georgia has also become a hub
for various international institutions
that promote direct German-American
relations. The German American
Chamber of Commerce of the
Southern U.S., Inc. (GACC South) is
one of these key players, helping
German-based companies to profit
from their 35 years of experience in
the areas of market entry and
expansion, and networking events.
With almost 40 employees in Atlanta
and Houston, the GACC South has
more than 700 members and hosts
over 100 networking events every
year throughout the South. The
Georgia Department of Economic
Development (GDEcD) is another
institution that works round the clock
to inform potential investors at home
and abroad about the many benefits
of doing business in Georgia, and
even has a dedicated office in Munich
to establish and maintain personal
relationships with potential German
investors. German culture has also
found a special place in the heart of
Georgia, with institutions like the
Goethe Zentrum German School of
Atlanta and the German-American
Cultural Foundation that actively
promote the German language and
culture. With over 45,000 German
citizens living in the Metro Atlanta
Area, Germany is the most widely
represented European group in
Atlanta (U.S. Census Bureau: Current
Population Survey, 2012). Georgia’s
strong German-American partnership
leaves the Peach State poised to
remain a strong, ever-growing center
for German business and investment
for many years to come. n
The world of tomorrow: the world’s growing population needs more and more energy. Wind turbines and solar
energy plants play an important role here. Our impregnating resins ensure their safe operation and help improve
their efficiency. The greatest resource, however, is energy conservation: our pigments are used in paints for buildings
and in the manufacture of aerated concrete to ensure that structures are optimally insulated.
Find out more at www.altana.com/tomorrow
M E M B E R
P R O F I L E
Not Your Average Agency…
…with International Experience, European Taste, German
Quality and True American Spirit, OSK is Setting New Standards.
O
SK Marketing & Communications is an experiential
marketing, communications and
brand-developing agency which
delivers content with substance,
powerful imagery and memorable
experiences that generate interest
for our clients.
A jet-setting exhibit for Siemens won awards for OSK
Through the production of highlevel special events and the creation
of “brandscapes,” (comprehensive
brand landscapes that build brand
experience and awareness) we
offer our clients “public relevance”
for their themes, technologies and
products. To create this relevance,
we employ a multitude of
communication platforms including
sophisticated press and marketing
events, striking product presentations, branding strategies,
3D exhibitions and comprehensive
social media/online campaigns.
In this fashion we are able to
position our clients’ brands within
the public consciousness, inspire
discourse and debate, and create
honest, credible public relevance.
Our agency also has the advantage
of being part of an international
organization – we have offices in
Germany and China in addition to
our U.S. location. This worldwide
network allows us to achieve success
by utilizing the most effective and
appropriate approaches from a global
perspective. Additionally, we
leverage those approaches with
support from communication specialists, designers, architects and event
specialists as well as technology,
software and logistics professionals.
With all this talent under our global
company we are able to conceptualize and execute demanding, largescale projects both here in the U.S.
and abroad.
Our customer satisfaction is not only
reflected by our sales numbers but
also by our enduring relationships.
Internally and externally, our
dedication to our team and clients is
among the longest in the industry.
Our U.S. roster involves brands such
Mercedes-Benz, smart, AMG,
HARMAN and Tetra Pak and we’ve
provided support to Siemens,
Lapp and TrueCar, among others.
In particular, OSK Marketing &
Communications is a good fit for
German and European brands with a
presence in the United States.
An example of this congruence
(and of our most notable projects
here) was the planning and execution of the world premiere of the
Maybach ultra-luxury sedan by
Mercedes-Benz.
OSK Marketing & Communi
cations Sits at the Crossroads
of Marketing, PR, and
Creative Services for Brands.
OSK’s “brandscape” for Tetra Pak was the hit of the Anuga FoodTec Fair
36
The landscape of brand communications is changing drastically. What
clients and their brands now need
M E M B E R
are ideas that engage consumers on
their own terms rather than forced
messaging. Now the unique opportunity exists for brands to create
moments that connect directly to
them. Consumers want to engage
with these moments and share them
with others.
Ideas for brands should be just that:
ideas. These ideas should not be tied
to any one media space but instead
are adaptable to whatever medium
can truly connect with the right
consumers. Utilizing these various
outlets, brands can now tell their
unique stories in more places than
ever before – and these stories can
spread faster thanks to the engagement of consumers.
The advent and meteoric growth
of social media has now blurred
the lines between what was previously known as traditional brand
communications and PR. The two
can now make good bedfellows –
a win-win situation for brands.
Our unique blend of experience
and talent in both these sectors
positions us to be the ideal partner
for today’s marketers.
P R O F I L E
and devices. Our expanded digital
skills now allow us to build for our
clients platforms of entirely new
communication formats by combining our expertise in content, imagery,
storytelling and technology. n
Contact Info
Beyond brand staging, media
relations and multidimensional
communications we now have full
digital capabilities. We can create
solutions that forge a link – conceptually, technically, and from a design
perspective – between content and
users on all types of digital channels
Andre Poehlker
CEO
OSK Marketing & Communications Inc.
Chanin Building, Suite 5100
122 East 42nd Street
New York, NY 10168
P +212-905-0001
F +212-905-0006
>> Email: [email protected]
>> Web: www.oskny.com
Facts & Figures
Debuting in style – the world premiere of the S63 AMG Coupe
Video clips:
World Premiere Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Hamburg 2013
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o55Wr6rO2sM&feature=youtu.be
Mercedes-Benz IAA Press Conference, Frankfurt 2013
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAbdAMi-Pu8
• Owner-operated agency
• Founded in 1993;
New York office opened in 2008
• Offices in Cologne, Stuttgart,
New York City and Beijing
• Lead agency for global product communications, Mercedes-Benz Cars
37
M E M B E R
P R O F I L E
Overview of the
Fine Art Market in Germany
I
n 2013, the global Fine Art
auction market increased 5% by
value sold from the previous year,
earning over $14.4 billion. A
significant increase (+13%) was also
seen in Germany during the same
period, making it the fifth-largest
market for auction sales of Fine Art.
A look at the artnet Price Database
revealed that Fine Art auction sales
in Germany reached over $265
million during 2013; only the
United States, China, the United
Kingdom, and France saw higher
totals. Additionally, nearly 50% of
the country’s sales were attributed
to the top three German auction
houses: Villa Grisebach Auktionen
GmbH, Ketterer Kunst München,
and Lempertz.
Perhaps even more noteworthy is
the global success of German
artists at auction.
Recently, the artnet
analytics team
compiled auction
data for the top 10
German artists,
and found that
over the past
decade, works by
these artists have
garnered over
$2.5 billion.
38
Rather unsurprisingly, Gerhard
Richter held the no. 1 spot. Having
realized over $1.2 billion in auction
sales since 2004, Richter accounted
for almost 50% of the value brought
in by the top 10 German artists.
German expressionist painter
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and influential surrealist Max Ernst also
performed well, together bringing
in over $392 million.
Along with Richter, Andreas Gursky
and Anselm Kiefer lead the market
for living German artists.
Spotlight: Gerhard Richter
Known for his revolutionary use of
the squeegee in his paintings,
Gerhard Richter has experienced
staggering success at auction
internationally. Not only does he
dominate the market for German
art, but he tops the list for living
artists – surpassing the likes of
Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, and
Zeng Fanzhi.
In 2013, Richter became the first
living German artist to meet the
eight-figure mark when Domplatz,
Mailand (Cathedral Square, Milan)
(1968) sold for over $37 million
at Sotheby’s Contemporary Art
Evening Sale, held in May. The work
also ranks second in two broader
lists: Top Lots by German Artists
and Top Lots by Living Artists.
In fact, if you were to peruse
a list of the top 100 lots
by German
M E M B E R
P R O F I L E
In 2013, Richter became the first living German artist to
meet the eight-figure mark when Domplatz, Mailand
(Cathedral Square, Milan) (1968) sold for over $37 million
artists, Richter’s work would occupy
54 of the spots.
Richter’s market shows no signs
of slowing. So far this year, his
works have already brought in over
$169 million (an impressive 33%
of all sales by German artists), and
Company Info
resource for the international art
market, and the principal platform
for art auctions on the Internet. We
offer a wide range of art market
About artnet
resources, providing a place for
people in the art world to buy, sell,
Founded in 1989 with the goal of
and research Fine Art, Design, and
bringing transparency to the art
G l o b a l A u c t i o n S a l e s Va l u e
Decorative Art. n
world, artnet is the leading online
with November contemporary sales
still on the horizon, Richter is
certainly an artist to watch.
G l o b a l A u c t i o n S a l e s Va l u e
20 04
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4 –r t2i 014*
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s t s a t A*Data
u c tthrough
i o n 9/15/2014
Global Auction Sales Value
2 0 0 4 – 2 014*
U S $1, 2 8 8 , 4 5 4 ,9 6 5
Gerhard Richter
Jacob Pabst, CEO
Artnet Worldwide Corporation
233 Broadway, 26th Floor
New York, NY 10279, USA
T: +1-212-497-9700
F: +1-212-497-9707
>> www.artnet.com
>> www.artnet.de
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*D a t a t h r o u g h 9/15/2 014
*Data through 9/15/2014
*D a t a t h r o u g h 9/15/2 014
39
M E M B E R
P R O F I L E
EUROPA 2: Atlantic Crossing
and Maiden Call in New York City
O
n EUROPA 2’s transatlantic
crossing this fall guests will
have the opportunity to fully
experience the ship and its facilities,
before the EUROPA 2 arrives in New
York City. The EUROPA 2 has been
awarded five-stars-plus, the highest
ranking, by the renowned Berlitz
Cruise Guide for the second time in
their 2015 edition. One of the voyages’
highlights is the arrival at the port of
New York on December 4, 2014, which
will be a maiden call for EUROPA 2.
Guests will have ample time to enjoy
the Big Apple, since the EUROPA 2
will stay in the famous metropolis for
two nights. After that, the ship
continues its voyage to the Caribbean
and South America.
The Atlantic crossing has been a
famous route in cruise history for
many years. On a luxurious cruise
ship like the EUROPA 2, there is
plenty to do for the guests while
crossing the ocean: try out all the
7 restaurants on board (all included
in the cruise price), relaxing in the
famous spa and working out in the
gym, just to mention a few.
Culinary Diversity with Flexible Times and Open Seating
The restaurant concept on board the
EUROPA 2 is synonymous with
diversity and flexibility – flexible
mealtimes, no assigned seating, and
plenty of tables for two. There are
seven restaurants to choose from –
among them, three specialty
restaurants with Italian, French and
Asian cuisine, as well as a Sushi Bar.
There is also an on-board culinary
school, equipped by Miele. In
addition to the seven restaurants,
six bars can also be found on-board.
Entertainment with Exclusive
Productions & Performances
The entertainment program reflects
the modern concept of the EUROPA 2.
The theater has modern stage technology and a large LED wall extending
across two stories. The entertainment
program features spectacular productions, performances and light shows.
The shows are exclusively performed
aboard the EUROPA 2. International
guest artists enhance further the
entertainment program. The
shows do not rely on language.
Wellness and Fitness:
1,000 Square Metres Spa
Guests also find diversity and plenty of
space in the wellness area, which spans
10,764 square feet. Treatments ranging
from massages, to facials, to Thalasso
therapy are offered at the OCEAN SPA.
The extensive sauna landscape grants
every guest more space to relax than
on any other ship of this class. In
addition, passengers can book a
personal SPA experience and enjoy the
private sauna and whirlpool facilities,
as well as massage beds and comfortable relaxation furnishings in an
intimate atmosphere. The on-board
facilities also include a large fitness
area with fitness and cardio equipment, as well as a room where Pilates
and spinning take place. On request, a
personal trainer is available to support
guests in their workouts and sports
hosts are available to organize shore
excursions, which includes bicycle
tours or Nordic Walking.
Accommodation
On-board, All-Suites
The EUROPA 2 exclusively offers
Veranda Suites with balconies each
40
M E M B E R
measuring at least 75 square feet
facing the sea. The 251 suites in eight
different categories measure in size
from 301-1065 square feet, and offer
their own jacuzzi with ocean view in
the highest categories. In addition, 16
Spa Suites have jacuzzi tubs and rain
showers with steam saunas, providing
guests with a private oasis of wellbeing on board. For families traveling
together, there are seven family style
suites, where parents and children can
live in two separate areas, connected
by a door and the shared balcony.
EUROPA 2 welcomes cosmopolitan
guests – couples, families and solo
travelers alike – and has been
built combining the very best of
contemporary, modern design
concepts, while providing every
amenity expected of a truly
luxurious cruise experience.
The destinations in 2015/16:
South America, the Caribbean Sea,
Western and Eastern Mediterranean,
Seychelles and South Africa, the
United Arab Emirates and Asia. n
Contact:
(212) 239-7997
Toll-free +877-445-7447
>> www.hl-cruises.com
>> www.mseuropa2.com
P R O F I L E
Ship visit on
board MS EUROPA 2
New York City
MS EUROPA 2
December 5, 2014 at 05:30 p.m.
Meeting at Manhattan Cruise Terminal,
Pier to be announced with confirmation
Admission: $75.00 per person
Please rsvp by 11/17/14
>> E-Mail: [email protected]
Hapag-Lloyd Kreuzfahrten
Ballindamm 25
20095 Hamburg
Germany
41
W H A T ' S
O N
Y O U R
D E S K ?
Lindi von Mutius
GACC Philadelphia
Executive Director
From: Essen, Germany
Interests: Gardening, Hiking,
Kayaking, Skiing, and Painting
Past Careers: Ski Instructor, EMT,
Ecologist, and Attorney
Contact: Tel: (215) 665-1585
Cell: (610) 657-1450
Fax: (215) 968-0973
>> www.gaccphiladelphia.com
>> www.ahk.de
What do you like best
about your job?
I really enjoy working with our
members, whether it is with large
companies who need a contact,
or with individuals who are looking
for business development opportunities or employment. The most
rewarding aspect of my job is when
a member tells me that they met a
new client or connected with a
potential employer at one of our
events. I also enjoy showing off the
Philadelphia region. I work very
closely with the City of Philadelphia
and the Pennsylvania and Delaware
state offices to better promote the
region in Germany, and introduce
German companies to the right
contacts here.
Most Inspiring Projects?
Incorporating new businesses
and assisting German companies
with legal issues they encounter
here in the region. I really enjoy
being able to work as an attorney
as well as the Executive Director.
The legal work provides interesting
variety in my job, and allows me
to better understand what companies need to be successful here.
I also enjoy speaking to groups
about German trade policy issues
like TTIP and business development
in Germany.
Upcoming Project?
We have conceptualized a market
entry program specifically for
German life science companies.
After our 25th Anniversary Gala
on September 26th, I am looking
forward to focusing on this
project again, because I believe it
will make a big difference in
helping Mittelstand companies from
Germany thrive in the “Pharma
Belt” that is Delaware, New Jersey,
and Pennsylvania. n
Welcome, New Members!
National Partners
Emo Trans Inc.
www.emotrans.com
HSBC Bank USA, N.A.
www.hsbc.com
McGladrey LLP
www.mcgladrey.com
SOS Children's Villages - USA,
Inc
www.sos-usa.org
T-Mobile US
www.t-mobile.com
ASM Assembly Systems, LLC
www.siplace.com
AUCOTEC Inc.
www.engineeringbase.com
Bejin Bieneman PLC
www.b2iplaw.com
Bergmann Associates
www.bergmannpc.com
BJM International Inc.
Bodman, PLC
www.bodmanlaw.com
Cambridge Mercantile Group
www.cambridgefx.com
CBIZ Benefits & Insurance
www.cbiz.com
citim AM, Inc.
www.citim-AM.com
Clayton State University
www.clayton.edu/faculty/adadpay
42
Corpus Christi Regional
Economic Development
Corporation
www.ccredc.com
Digital Brandworks
www.digitalbrandworks.com
Gustav Kaeser Training
International USA
www.gustavkaeser.com
Joseph Decosimo and Company
www.decosimo.com
Schaeffer Group USA, Inc
www.schaeffer.us
Schwartz Inc
www.schwartz-inc.com
Dworschak, Helmut
jr-cape Group
www.jr-cape.com
Siemens Industry, Inc. Building
Technologies Division - Infrastructure & Cities Sector
Ernst Metal Technologies
www.ernst-usa.com
Lock Drives, Inc.
www.lockdrives.com
Sika Corporation
www.usa.sika.com
Esther Pugh
www.proz.com/profile/1658917
Maerkisches Werk of North
America, Inc.
www.mwna.com
Smaato, Inc.
www.smaato.com
Marand Builders, Inc.
www.marandbuilders.com
The Imaging Source
www.theimagingsource.com
Excellent Guest Services
www.excellent-guest-services.com
Fisher & Phillips, LLP
www.laborlawyers.com
Foley & Lardner LLP
www.foley.com
Formel D USA, Inc.
www.formeld.com
FRABA Inc.
www.fraba.com
GEA Mechanical Equipment US,
Inc.
www.gea.com
Maus Group Corporation
www.mausgroup.com
ME Industries US
http://me-industries.de/de/
Nexsen Pruet, PLLC
www.nexsenpruet.com
Printed Circuits Corp.
www.pcc-i.com
ProSAP Consulting LLC
www.prosap.biz
Talent Development Consultant
The SR Group GmbH
www.thesrgroup.com
University of Minnesota
www.umn.edu
University of South Carolina
Upstate
faculty.uscupstate.edu/bomolo
Up2Go International
www.up2go.com
Urban Integrated Solutions, Inc.
www.the-ui.com
Gerner Kronick & Valcarcel
Architects
www.gkvarchitects.com
Putsch & Company, Inc.
www.putschusa.com
Reznikoff & Co., LLC
Voxeljet of America
www.voxeljet.com
Greater Phoenix Economic
Council
www.gpec.org
Rutronik Inc.
www.rutronik.com
Wangen America Inc
www.wangen.com
SalesEnablers LLC
www.sales-enablers.com
WMF AMERICAS, INC.
www.wmfamericas.com
GRP Corporation
Globe
Inventor: Martin Behaim
Germany, 1492
Overview. Made in Germany.
Beyond all borders.
The globe helps to capture the world at a glance. Landesbank Baden-Württemberg supports you in the global
competitive environment and wants to be your preferred
partner in the key financial centers all over the world.
LBBW New York Branch is your gateway to the US Financial
Landesbank Baden-Württemberg
Markets and provides tailor-made solutions and a wide
range of products and services for subsidiaries of small
and medium sized German companies. Partnership begins
with a good talk: Please contact our German Desk at
+1 212 584-1700 or visit us at www.LBBW.com
Event Calendar
November 1 - December 31
November 1
November 4
November 7
19th Annual Gala
6th German American
Energy Efficieny
Conference
Skills Initiative Spotlight
Panel and Annual Wine
Dinner
Held by GACC South
Atlanta, GA
www.gaccsouth.com
Held by GACC South
Austin, TX
www.gaccsouth.com
Held by GACC Midwest
Chicago, IL
www.gaccmidwest.org
November 10–12 November 12
November 12
November 12,
November 12
Auto Supplier Business
Conference & Delegation
Annual Fall Dinner
Martinsgans Dinner 2014
2014
Climate Symposium
Houston
Troy/Detroit, MI
www.gaccmidwest.org
Detroit, MI
www.gaccmidwest.org
Held by GACC NY
New York City, NY
www.gaccny.com
November 13
November 13
November 13
Martinsgans Dinner
Breakfast Briefing w/
Phillip Maier, Economist,
Bank of America
Auto Supplier
Climate Symposium Tulsa
Business Delegation:
Product Presentation Event
Legal Ethics and Risk
Management: Complementary Strategies for the
Successful Law Practice
(CLE accredited)
Held by GACC South
Atlanta, GA
www.gaccsouth.com
Held by GACC South
Charlotte, NC
www.gaccsouth.com
Held by GACC South
Greenville, SC
www.gaccsouth.com
Held by GACC South
Tulsa, OK
www.gaccsouth.com
Held by GACC South
Atlanta, GA
www.gaccsouth.com
November 17–21
November 18
November 18
November 19
November 19
Energy Efficiency
Delegation
GACC South TN Chapter
- German American
Business Stammtisch
Lived Leadership - The
Leadership Circle
Christmas Market w/
MostlyChocolate.com
European Business
Networking
Held by GACC West
Portland, OR
www.gaccsouth.com
Held by GACC South
Chattanooga, TN
www.gaccsouth.com
Held by GACC South
Houston, TX
www.gaccsouth.com
Held by GACC South
Charlotte, NC
www.gaccsouth.com
Chicago, IL
www.gaccmidwest.org
Nov 21 – Dec 24
Nov 28–30, Dec 4–7,
Webinar on the Strategies
for Stabilizing Financial
Performance
Held by GACC South
Atlanta, GA
www.gaccsouth.com
November 13
Held by GACC South
Houston, TX
www.gaccsouth.com
November 17
November 20
November 20
Nov 21 – Dec 20
Knowledge Exchange:
Strategies to ensure a
healthy financial life in
retirement
Culture Shock!
Sushi & Sausage
Denver Christkindlmarket
Christkindlmarket Chicago Dec 11–14, Dec 18–24
Christkindlmarket
Oakbrook
Chicago, IL
www.gaccmidwest.org
Held by GACC South
Atlanta, GA
www.gaccsouth.com
Denver, CO
www.gaccco.org
Chicago, IL
Oakbrook, IL
www.christkindlmarket.com www.gaccmidwest.org
Nov 30 – 12 Dec December 1
December 3
December 8
STEP NYC – 5 Day
Program for German
Startups in New York City
Smart Cities – Energy
Efficiency in the Infrastructure – New York City
Holiday Award Dinner
German American Business
Outlook
Held by GACC NY
New York City, NY
www.gaccny.com
Held by GACC NY
New York City, NY
www.gaccny.com
Held by GACC South
Houston, TX
www.gaccsouth.com
Held by GACC NY
New York City, NY
www.gaccny.com
December 11
December 11
December 16
December 17
Knowledge Exchange
"After Hours" Networking
w/ Kuehne + Nagel, Inc.
German American Business
Stammtisch
Jingle Mingle Reception,
Chicago, IL
www.gaccmidwest.org
Held by GACC South
Atlanta, GA
www.gaccsouth.com
Held by GACC South
Chattanooga, TN
www.gaccsouth.com
Chicago, IL
www.gaccmidwest.org
45
G E R M A N
A M E R I C A N
TRADE
THE MAGAZINE OF THE GERMAN AMERICAN CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE
Atlanta
New York
German American Chamber
of Commerce of the Southern
United States, Inc.
1170 Howell Mill Road, Suite 300
Atlanta, GA 30318
T 404-586-6800 F 404-586-6820
[email protected]
www.gaccsouth.com
of Commerce, Inc.
75 Broad Street, 21st Floor
New York, NY 10004
T 212-974-8830 F 212-974-8867
[email protected]
www.gaccny.com
Chicago
Philadelphia
of Commerce of the Midwest, Inc.
321 North Clark, Suite 1425
Chicago, IL 60654
T 312-644-2662 F 312-644-0738
[email protected]
www.gaccmidwest.org
of Commerce, Inc.
Two Penn Center, Suite 200
1500 John F. Kennedy Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19102
T 215-665-1585 F 215-665-0375
[email protected]
www.gaccphiladelphia.com
Detroit
San Francisco
of Commerce of the Midwest, Inc.
One Woodward Avenue, Suite 1900
PO Box 33840
Detroit, Michigan 48232
T 313-596-0399
[email protected]
www.gaccmidwest.org
of Commerce, Inc. Office for the
Western United States
One Embarcadero Center
Suite 1060
San Francisco, CA 94111
T 415-248-1240 F 415-627-9169
[email protected]
www.gaccwest.com
Houston
Washington, DC
of Commerce of the Southern
United States, Inc.
Houston Office
1900 West Loop South, Suite 1185
Houston, TX 77027
T 832-384-1200 F 713-715-6599
[email protected]
www.gacctexas.com
Representative of German Industry
and Trade
1776 I Street NW, Suite 1000
Washington DC 20006
T 202-659-4777 F 202-659-4779
[email protected]
www.rgit-usa.com
German American Trade is published bimonthly by
the German American Chamber of Commerce Inc.,
75 Broad Street, 21st Floor, New York, NY 10004.
Reproduction in whole or in part of any article is
prohibited without permission.
Unsolicited manuscripts cannot be returned unless
accompanied by a properly addressed envelope
bearing sufficient postage. Editor reserves the right
to edit letters to be reprinted. Editor and publisher
cannot accept any liability for the accuracy or
completeness of any material published. Contributed
articles do not necessarily reflect the Chamber’s
position. If you have any comments regarding
articles in this magazine, please call 212-956-1770.
Periodical postage paid at New York, NY and
additional mailing offices: USPS number 025-026
One Year Subscription: US$ 30 (Euro 48) One
subscription is included in annual membership dues.
Single copy: US$ 5 (Euro 8)
U.S. postmaster send address changes to:
German American Trade, 75 Broad Street,
21 Fl., New York, NY 10004.
Office of publication: New York
Publication date of this issue: Noc/Dec 2014
© Copyright 2014 German American Trade
Design and Production
Thinkersdesign
328 Commerce Street
Hawthorne, NY 10532
T 914-741-0445 F 206-203-3640
[email protected]
www.thinkersdesign.com
GAT Editorial Team
Nicola Michels GACC NY
Editor & Advertising Coordinator
T 212-956-1770 F 212-974-8867
[email protected]
Stefanie Jehlitschka GACC South
[email protected]
Sandra Jones GACC NY
[email protected]
Manuel Muhl GACC South
[email protected]
Julia Prestel GACC West
[email protected]
Jayne Riemer-Chishty GACC Midwest
[email protected]
Jan Vater GACC NY
[email protected]
Lindi von Mutius GACC NY
Philadelphia Branch
[email protected]
Jasmin Welter GACC Midwest
[email protected]
46
Volkswagen Group of America with its five brands Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and
Volkswagen is a strong partner of the German American Chamber of Commerce.
Volkswagen Group is continuing its commitment to the U.S. market with an
additional $7 Billion investment in North America over the next five years.
Building on the success of its manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, TN – where a
recent study shows that VW Chattanooga activities have created 12,400 full-time jobs
at VW, suppliers and in the regional economy, and are responsible for $643.1 million
in annual income – the Volkswagen Group will expand its powertrain and vehicle
assembly capacities in the NAFTA region.
volkswagengroupamerica.com
Traveler ?
Passenger ?
Guest.
On the ground
and above the
clouds, we have
one focus:
You
When you travel with Lufthansa your
ticket is really an invitation. You will
feel like our special guest because
your comfort and happiness are our
business. Every day,
our guests experience
Nonstop you. To view
their stories, scan
the code or visit
View
stories
stories
LH.com/us/OneFocus See
LH.com

PDF Version - German American Chamber of Commerce New York

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